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° Improvement of Columbia River HE new 2m of waieray i transportation, for whose ex- istence our country is mainly indebted to the National Rivers and Harbors Congress, has turned public attention, as never before, to the riv- ers and harbors of the different sec- tions of our country. As a further great impulse to a new interest in waterways we must note the forth- coming speedy completion of the Panama canal. While this monumental event has awakened profound attention to com- merce and water routes in all. parts of our nation, there is perhaps no re- gion so fundamentally concerned in these events and conditions as the Pacific coast. And while we can- not assert that the northwest states have any greater interest than. Cali- fornia, yet it may be safely claimed that California. does not surpass Oregon and Washington in that. re- gard. The waterway peor of the two latter states may be embraced in three groups: Puget sound, the harbors opening on the ocean--Wil- lapa and Gray's on the Washington coast and Tillamook and - Coos in Oregon-- and the Columbia river and its tributaries within the limits of both states and in addition the chief fluvial features of Idaho and western Montana, with a great area in British Columbia. The Columbia System It is the last named of these three, that is the Columbia system, that we will briefly consider here. It is of timely interest in connection with the ereat annual meeting of the Rivers and Harbors Congress, for in spite of the distance from the centers of gov- ernment and population, the Columbia and its improvements have aroused more interest at the meetings for some time past than any other group of systems except the Mississippi- Ohio and the proposed coastal canal of the Atlantic. The Columbia river rises in a chain of small lakes in British Columbia, at an elevation of 2,500 ft. above sea *President, Columbia and Snake River Wa- terways Association. _ river. A Brief Glance at the Water- ways of the Pacific Northwest By W. D. Lyman* level, and with a general southwest- erly course reaches the Pacific, having a total distance of nearly 1,400 miles. In volume it is surpassed only by the Mississippi "of the rivers of the United States. Its mean low water outflow is about 200,000 cu. ft. per second, while its extreme flood dis- charge in 1894 was estimated at 1,600,- 000 second ft. It can be seen that, 1 it"has abund- ance of water for navigation. But on account of the general elevation of the Rocky Mountain and Cascade land system the Columbia and its tribu- taries have to move swiftly to get down to sea-level in the distance al- lowed. Canals and Locks Therefore frequent rapids interrupt navigation. Hence canals and. locks become necessary. ahs To present most clearly the wand tions and needs, we may take a birds- eye view of the Columbia from Rev- elstoke, B. C., to the Pacific ocean, a distance of 1,000 miles, all of which can be made navigable without vast expense, and whose tributary regions passes resources sufficient to amply justify all needed outlay. Beginning a rapid journey at Revel- stoke we would. find a magnificent steamboat course over 200 miles through the Arrow Lakes to Robson, B. C.. Thence to the boundary of Washington there is mainly a good The Canadian government is interested to improve this, where needed, and has broached to our own government the idea of a united plan by which the entire river from Revel- stoke to the ocean can be made navi- gable. Moving southwest from the boundary, we note a bad rapid at Little Dalles, a worse one at Kettle Falls (where canal and locks would be essential) and another bad rapids a few miles lower, Rickey Rapids. Below that point the river has long stretches of deep still water, beauti- ful to navigate, but interrupted with occasional rapids, not impassable but requiring removal of rocks and reefs to make navigation easy and conveni- Cnt: From Rickey Rapids to Wenatchee is about 250 miles, and this long stretch has long been navigated in parts and sometimes in 'full. Below Wenatchee is a bad rapid, Rock Isl- and, which, though passable, needs canal and locks to be profitably passed. Yet further down, after over 50 miles of good river, comes a long, bad 1apid, Priest Rapids, which, though it, too, has been passed by steamers a number of times, is so serious an im- pediment that regular steamer navi- gation has never existed. There is a fall of 71 ft. in about 10 miles; canal and locks are demanded here. Dam- ming the river at this point and cre- ating a water-power of 250,000: H. P. and thus accomplishing the double purpose of navigation and power suf- ficient to meet all expenses are among the great possibilities here. Priest Rapids is about 415 miles. from the ocean. There is a fall of about 400 ft. in that distance. slits AS: swift in various places. during the stretch of over 200 miles to Celilo, but it is»navigable at all stages of water to the last named point. At Celilo occur several obstructions, the most extensive in the whole course of the river, covering a total distance of 8% miles. Here are the famous Turnwater falls, the Grand Dalles, and several lesser rapids. Altogether they constitute one of the most re- markable points on the river. At the Grand Dalles the river runs in a chasm only 180 ft. wide at low water, but the water is from 200 to 400 ft. deep. The entire fall is 81 ft. This. great obstruction has prevented steam- boat navigation and has bottled up. the vast productive "Inland Empire" and subjected it to very heavy trans- portation charges. Were it not for the great fertility and favorable cli- mate of eastern Oregon and Wash- ington and western Idaho, the freight tates would have hindered develop- ment to a great degree. . Transportation a Handicap As it is, costly transportation has been a heavy handicap. By reason of this there has been a persistent de- mand on the Federal government to improve the river at this point. After much loss of time and some: fa'se